mean I couldn’t start going after Derrick’s killer myself. Whatever happened with Zach would work out for the best; I had a strong faith that was true, but with Derrick, I wasn’t so sure.
He’d been murdered in cold blood, and the police had me near the top of the suspect list. If I was going to get myself out from under that cloud of suspicion, I was going to have to do something about it.
“LET’S GO BACK TO THE CREST,” I TOLD JENNY AS WE GOT into her car.
“We should talk to Brady and Sylvia again.”
“I’m sure we will, but I want a little more ammunition before I do. What I’d really like to see is the suite where Derrick was staying.”
She glanced over at me. “How do you know that it’s a suite?”
“Trust me; Derrick had no problem pampering himself, especially if he could write it off on his taxes. That’s just the kind of guy he was.”
“I still don’t understand how we’re going to get into the suite.”
I thought about it. “We could bribe a maid.”
“No thank you. I can’t afford any black marks on my record, and if we pay somebody off, I’m sure it will come back to haunt me later. How about your uncle? Surely he would know someone he could call to help us.”
“He’s out of reach right now.” Then I had a sudden thought. While it was true that Uncle Barton was unavailable, I knew one of his top men.
As Jenny drove I dialed Garrett’s number and heard him answer on the first ring.
“Savannah, how nice to hear from you. I’m sorry, but your uncle is still away.”
“You’re the one I need to talk to,” I said. Garrett ran one of my uncle’s hotels, the Belmont in Charlotte, and he did his job very well.
“You know that I’m happy to be of service, if I can,” he said.
“I need a contact at the MCS Crest Hotel in Raleigh. Can you help me?”
He didn’t even hesitate as he replied, “Ask for Benjamin Lowe. I’ll call him now, so he’ll be expecting to hear from you.”
“How on earth did you come up with something so quickly, Garrett?”
“I’d love to tell you that I’ve got some kind of magical directory at my fingertips, but Benjamin and I were at a conference together last year in Greensboro. He’s the assistant manager there, so you’ll be in good hands.”
“Thanks, Garrett. You’re a lifesaver.”
“When are you going to visit us again, Savannah? You’ve been missed.”
I thought about the luxury accommodations, and the view of Charlotte I’d enjoyed when I’d stayed there last, and began to wonder the same thing. “If we get a chance, we’ll come by soon.”
“Excellent,” he said.
After we hung up, Jenny said, “Wow, so that’s what it’s like to know people.”
“Come on, you know people.”
She shook her head. “I know some folks around the edges, but not with those kinds of resources, at least not yet. Who knew you would ever turn out to be such a mover and a shaker?”
“It’s my uncle, not me,” I said as we pulled up to the hotel, got out of Jenny’s car, and walked up to the front desk.
A dapper young man with a trim mustache was waiting for us. “Are you Savannah Stone, by any chance?”
I admitted that I was, and he extended a hand. “I’m Benjamin Lowe. How may I be of assistance to you?”
“So, you’ve already spoken with Garrett. That was fast, even by his standards.”
He smiled, and I saw a perfect set of gleaming white teeth. “Let’s just say that I’m in his debt, and I’m happy to be able to reduce the burden in any way I can. I must warn you, though, that I won’t breach the confidentiality of our guests, but anything else I can do for you, know that I’m at your service.”
“I need to see Derrick Duncan’s room. I’m willing to bet it’s a suite on the top floor.”
Benjamin frowned. “I’m not certain the police have released their hold on that suite yet.” He turned to one of the young women behind the desk, asked for her keyboard, and then began tapping something into the computer system as he looked at the screen. “I’m truly sorry, but that room won’t be available for occupancy for another six hours.” He tapped a few more keys, and then swiped a golden-hued card from a nearby stack.
As we walked toward the elevator, Benjamin said softly, “I trust you will leave things there as undisturbed as possible.”
“I promise,” I said. “I’m curious, though. Am I to understand that you aren’t willing to breach a guest’s privacy, but you don’t have any problem with disobeying the police?”
“What troubles you about it? We’ve held the suite as a courtesy only. I don’t have to tell you that it’s not a crime scene, since Mr. Duncan was murdered in one of our conference rooms, not his suite. I’ve been told that his widow will be by later to pick up his belongings. From what I’ve been told, the police have finished that part of their investigation, so there’s nothing you can really disturb. Still, I wouldn’t want it bandied about that I’d allowed you free access to someone else’s room.”
“You can trust me,” I said.
“I’m sure of it. Garrett was quite emphatic about that point.”
“Well, please accept my thanks.”
“If it is ever my pleasure to serve you again, do not hesitate to ask.”
We got onto the elevator, and started our ride to the penthouse level. Jenny had been quiet during most of the conversation, preferring to observe rather than directly participate. “I don’t know what Garrett’s got on Benjamin, but it must be something.”
“I’d rather not know, to be honest with you. I’m just glad he has a contact that can help us.”
“Is it right what we’re doing here? I feel a little odd snooping around a dead man’s room.”
“Jenny, if you’re uncomfortable doing it, I’d be glad to meet you back in the lobby after I’m finished.”
“You wouldn’t mind?”
“Of course not. It’s probably better that we give you some deniability about this, anyway. I’ll snoop around a little, and then I’ll be back before you know it. Would you like to meet in the lobby, or should I look for you in the restaurant?”
“You’re being awfully understanding about this,” Jenny said.
“You’ve got a lot more to lose than I do if we’re caught,” I said. The elevator opened on the top floor, and I walked out.
To my surprise, Jenny stepped out as well.
“I thought you were going back downstairs.”
“I’ve changed my mind,” she said suddenly. “I’m not about to leave all of the fun for you. I can’t let that happen, now can I?”
I looked into her eyes and saw that she meant it. “I guess not. Let’s go do a little digging.”
EITHER SOMEONE HAD TOSSED THE PLACE AFTER DERRICK died, or he was a born slob. I was willing to bet it was the latter, given his general personal appearance. There were dirty dishes on the floor by the door, and magazines and newspapers were strewn out all over the place. Clothes had been ditched haphazardly, and I had to wonder how long it had been since a maid had stepped one foot into the room.
“Are you kidding me?” Jenny asked as she stared in disbelief.
“Sorry, but it’s too late to back out now.”
As Jenny surveyed the room, she asked, “How can anyone live like this?”
“I don’t like it any more than you do, but we don’t have much time. Let’s dig in and see what we can find.”
Jenny frowned, and then took a deep breath. “Okay, if you can do it, I can, too. I just wish I had some gloves.”
“Or a biohazard suit,” I added as I looked around. “Do you want the living room or the bedroom?”
“Could the other room really be any worse than this is?”
“We could always flip a coin,” I offered.
